A Good Welcome Home
by Always RuroKen
Summary: After five years, a certain spiky-haired street fighter comes back home to Tokyo. After five years, a certain foxy lady doctor meets the person she had been waiting for for such a long time. After five years, Sagara Sanosuke's comin' back to' Tokyo, so get ready to feel the THUNDER!
1. Chapter 1

The man walked down the empty road at one o'clock in the morning. He had his hands in his pockets and a relaxed posture, chewing on a fishbone. Most were afraid to walk alone so late at night, (or so early in the morning) but that didn't seem to bother him. If anyone tried to jump him on the way to his final destination, he would probably welcome the opportunity to fight. His left shoulder needed some stretching after that long boat ride, anyway.

The road was long and winding, and the forests and farmlands near Kiozaka were dark and forbidding. A light breeze blew, making the trees and the rice fields rustle and shiver. The man shivered a little as well.

"Damn. Need warmer clothes. I've almost forgotten how cold it was around here; this time of year." He muttered, turning to a clump of bushes that was shivering, rustling and shaking a little too much for a small gust of wind. "You can come out now. I've noticed you tailing me since halfway out of the last village. What do you guys want?"

Three men in black jumped out from behind the bush. They surrounded him. Two were short and the other was tall and broad-shouldered. The bigger man stepped forward.

"If you don't want to get hurt, hand over your money right now!"

The man who was the victim of an attempted robbery grinned. "I don't have _that_ much, you know… And I need it. They'll kill me back home if I don't pay off my tab. So I'll fight you." He shifted the fishbone from one corner of his mouth to another.

The large man in black laughed. His two companions laughed as well. "You against the three of us! I like that!" Then there was the sound of three sharp, hard hits.

The man looked down at the unconscious forms of the failed bandits and sighed. "Jeez, you guys. Before you start robbing people, at least learn how to fight…" He shook his head. "Aw, whatever."

Leaving the three men to lay where they were, he headed off down the road, adjusting his red hachimaki.

A little while later, he came upon an inn. "Huh… Wasn't here last time…" He headed towards it, the goldish light emanating from the windows welcoming him in. He opened the door, receiving a few stares from the patrons inside. He stared back, then went to the counter. "Could I have…" He counted on his fingers, "Five… no _six_ bowls of rice."

The innkeeper looked at him and then laughed. "Lots of food for a big guy, huh. Alrighty then, six bowls of rice coming up!"

As he was waiting for his food, the man looked around the room. The inn was small, and in the front room he could see four tables at which sat a small number of people.

At the first table sat a man who seemed drunk, fervently explaining something to a bored-looking woman with too much makeup. At the second table sat seven men who were gambling and yelling at each other. The third table was occupied with a Westerner avidly taking notes and listening to an amused farmer telling him all about 'authentic and cultural Japanese life'. The fourth table however caught his interest. The two men sitting there seemed to have also noticed him.

He walked over. "Haven't I seen you guys around before?"

The smaller of the two men shook his head and smiled nervously. "Eheheh… We don't really know you at all, right, Kato?"

The man called Kato nodded. "Yup. Sure thing we don't."

"Really? 'Cause it seems to me that I've seen the two of you someplace. Are you by any chance from Tokyo?"

"Oh! No! We're from… Where are we from, Kato?"

"Um… Okinawa!"

"Yeah! Okinawa!"

The man smiled in a friendly way. "Oh, really? You guys really do look familiar though. What's it like in Okinawa?"

"Err… Warm!"

"And err… There's lots of ocean! Isn't that right Kato?"

"Yeah. Beach. Fishing!"

The man smiled even wider. "Oh, really? Well that's nice, ain't it?"

"Very nice Okinawa!" the two men were visibly sweating.

But then the innkeeper yelled. "Okay! Who wanted six bowls of rice?" And the man got up from the 'Okinawans' table.

"I'll see you guys around." He headed over to eat his six bowls of rice.

The two men from 'Okinawa' quietly slipped out the door when the other man's back was turned. The man finished his second bowl of rice and grinned. "It's nice to see that people remember me after five years…"

The innkeeper looked at him. "Well, I really think that whatever you did to those guys in the past is not that easily forgotten. And you must be pretty strong to mess with those two. They might be real weak but they're with the biggest gang in Tokyo!"

The man nodded. "Oh really? Last I knew they were with a pretty average gang. They cheated when I gambled with them so I… Had a nice talk with them." He laughed, shaking his head, almost finished with his fourth bowl. "Do you know how long it is 'till Tokyo?"

The innkeeper rubbed his chin. "Well, for a normal guy – I'd say about three hours."

"Right. Then I'll be off." he said finishing his sixth bowl of rice and laying down a few coins. "Thanks for the rice."

"You aren't staying the night? I could offer you a cheap bed? With no-one else in it? It's not as crowded as usual around here any more."

The man grinned. "No, that's fine. Plus, last time I was back here, this place didn't even exist. I got people waitin' for me back home." He smiled, looking into the distance. "Bye!" He walked out, laying down money and closing the door behind him.

The man walked down the road at two o'clock in the morning. His belly was stuffed with rice and he was feeling good. Just like any day, he'd welcome a fight, but he wanted to get to Tokyo fast, and didn't want any untrained weaklings slowing him down.

A light breeze blew, fanning his white jacket out behind him. The black character on the back stood out in the moonlight. Aku. Evil.

The man put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "All _right_! Tokyo, here I come!" A chuckle built up in his chest. "Get ready to feel the _thunder_!" He whooped. "Sagara Sanosuke's comin' back to town!"

Five years had passed since he had been chased out, and now, Sagara Sanosuke was returning to Tokyo.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a scorching summer in Tokyo. The sun beat down, and far-away things shimmered in the blazing heat.

Takani Megumi put a hand over her face, leaning back on her chair. She took off her purple haori and tried to go back to work, but the heat was unbearable. When a knock at her door sounded she rubbed her forehead tiredly. _If I get another overreacting parent again, I swear I'll…_

"Megumi-sensei!"

"What is it?"

"There's a man here who wants you to take a look at his hand." A whimper from the assistant. "He's really insistent…!"

 _His hand, huh. Sounds really familiar. I miss that idiot._ Megumi sighed. "All right. Send him in!"

The door slid open.

The man who stood in the doorway was the last person that she had expected. But she could not say that she wasn't happy, or rather ecstatic to see him. He leaned against the doorframe, looking pleased with himself, as usual. His mouth was twisted into his usual wide grin.

His grin widened. "Hey, fox-lady. Missed me?"

Megumi's eyebrows lifted and her jaw dropped. She quickly got up from her desk and stood speechless in front of him. "S-sanosuke? Idiot Rooster-head?" She reached out a hand, fingertips brushing his chest. "It's really you?"

He looked down at her with a smile. "Yep. It's me." He grinned. "Unfortunately."

"Don't say that." Her voice trembled.

The man had changed, though not drastically. He still had his hair cut into the 'rooster-head' hairstyle, now longer, but he had a chinstrap beard and a tan. Before she could question herself, she flung her arms around him and buried her face in the side of his neck. He gave her an awkward one-armed hug, gripping her shoulder.

"Didn't know you missed me _that_ much." He said gently, giving her a gentle crooked grin.

Megumi pulled back, brushing a tear from her eye and trying not to blush. "It _has_ been five years." Her voice shook.

He grinned wider. "And you're still in business."

She laughed, happy tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Idiot."

He brushed a thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tears. "And I missed you too."

They both laughed, Megumi trying not to cry. This was so… _normal_. As if he'd never left. As if she'd never wanted to cry just thinking that she might never see him again. As if this wasn't one of the happiest moments.

"So how's your hand?" she asked.

"I won't know until you look at it." He grinned again. Sprawling in a chair he sighed. "You have no idea how good it is to be back."

Megumi sat in a chair across from him and motioned for him to give her his hand. She unwrapped the bandages. "You took surprisingly good care of it." She said.

He grinned. "I've been practicing my kicking. And I've had some experience with a pistol in America." His eyes sparked. "Wait 'till I tell everyone about that!"

"Right." She re-wrapped his hand, brushing his arm with her fingertips when she was done. He shivered slightly. "Your hands are still cold as hell. I guess some stuff just don't change…" He grinned.

Megumi nodded, biting her lip and still trying not to cry. Sanosuke looked like he was going to say something else, but in the next room someone called. "Megumi-sensei, there's a family here."

"All right, tell them to come in." She quickly finished bandaging Sanosuke's hand, told him to stay out of the way, and got up to open the door.

A voice could be heard from the hallway. A man's voice, speaking softly and politely. "This one is sorry to trouble you, Megumi-dono, but Kenji seems to be getting sick, that he is. He's been sniffling all morning."

Sano jumped up faster than Megumi could blink, opening the door very forcefully. He looked down at his best friend… who looked back at him with surprise. "S-Sano?"

"Yo, Kenshin." he grinned.

Sanosuke enveloped his best friend in a big bear hug, almost lifting the smaller man off the floor. Kenshin hugged him back. "This one did not know you were coming back, that I didn't. But this one is very glad."

"You got your hair cut off."

"You grew a beard, that you did."

The two of them laughed, happy to see each other again.

"Jeez! Kenshin! What's taking you so long?" Kaoru entered the room carrying a child that looked like a miniature Kenshin on her hip. She set the child down. "Kenshin?" Then she gasped. "Oh. My. Gosh _?!"_

"Missed me, Jou-chan?"

He gave her a one-armed hug. Then he caught sight of the child. Then he looked at Kenshin. Then he looked at Kaoru. Then back at the child. He looked very closely at Kenshin and Kaoru again.

"Wait a second… Is he _yours?_ "

Megumi slapped him. " _Of course_ he is!"

Kenshin looked at him. So did Kaoru.

"Finally, Kenshin! I was wondering when you two would get together. So you guys finally _did_ get married. And had a kid. Not specifically in that order, huh. You took my advice, Jou-chan!" He winked, ignoring Kaoru's warning growl. "He really looks like you, Kenshin."

The two of them smiled, Kaoru resting a hand on Kenshin's shoulder. The child, Kenji, looked at Sanosuke. "Who're you?"

"Sanosuke. Sagara Sanosuke. What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Kenji!" Kenji jumped from his mother's arms at Sano. The rooster-head managed to catch the child as he launched himself off Kaoru.

Kenji gave Sanosuke a once-over and then nodded in approval as the man swung him onto his shoulders. The little boy grabbed Sano's hair to hold on.

"Uncle Rooster is good." He announced.

Once more, the occupants of Megumi's office exploded into laughter.

"Uncle Rooster, huh? I like that! It sure is better than dumbass Chicken-head."

Kenshin smiled, Kaoru giggled and Megumi slapped him gently.

Sano leaned forward, winking roguishly at Megumi. "Ya keep slappin' me like that, Fox Lady. Are you trying to find excuses to touch me? 'Cause you can save that for later." He raised his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Then he jumped back, clutching at his cheek which Megumi had just pinched. "Ouch, damn it, woman!"

There was another call from the next room.

"Um, Megumi-sensei, there's…"

Then there was the sound of a slamming door, and a boy's voice, "Aw, give it a rest, will you."

And a girl's voice, "Y-Yahiko-kun, I'm not really that ill…"

"Yes you are! You collapsed at work. You've been working yourself too hard, Tsubame-chan!"

"B-but Yahiko-kun…"

"Don't argue." They could hear the voice soften. "I don't want you to be hurt."

"E-eh?"

"N-nothin'. I-I uh… Ain't said anythin'."

The door of Megumi's office slammed open and Yahiko came in carrying a girl, Tsubame, in his arms. "Oi, Fox-lady, you've got a pati-" Then he almost dropped Tsubame. " _You?!"_

"I'm back, Yahiko- _chan_."

Tsubame tried to preform an awkward bow from Yahiko's arms. "S-sanosuke-san. You're back from your… trip."

Sano shook his head in disbelief. "Trip? I got chased out of Japan by the cops! Yo. Eheheh, Yahiko, if you're trying to 'pick up' a girl, don't take it literally. That's not how it's done."

Yahiko blushed furiously and so did Tsubame. "I-it's not like…"

"S- _Sanosuke_ -san!"

Megumi slapped Sanosuke. "Idiot. You just got back and you're already teasing him?"

The sound of laughter drifted up into the clear blue Tokyo sky. After five years, the Kenshin-gumi was back together again. Everyone welcomed back the rooster-headed man with open arms and open hearts. Especially Megumi, even though she would never have admitted it to anyone but herself. In fact, Kenji was the only one who seemed to have noticed. "Auntie Megumi?"

"Yes, Kenji?"

"You really like uncle rooster, right?"

Megumi smiled, putting a finger to her lips. "Ssh."


	3. Chapter 3

When they left, it was already night, and Sano sat on the edge of Megumi's desk as she did paperwork. "Hey, fox lady?" he finally asked.

"Hm?"

"I thought you went ta' Aizu?"

"It didn't work out in the end. After three years a new person came in and took my place. They ignored my qualifications because I was a woman."

Sanosuke shook his head, his mouth twisting into a snarl and cracked his knuckles by smashing his fists together. "Those fuckers! I'm gonna beat up them so bad not even _you_ , the _best_ fuckin' doctor in _Japan_ is gonna be able to fix them up-"

She stood up quickly, knocking over her chair and put a hand over his mouth. "Don't even _think_ about it! I… Don't want you to leave again."

He grinned, leaning closer, taking her hand in his. "Aw, really, Fox?"

Megumi looked quickly away, her cheeks tinged pink. "Shut up."

"Fine, fine." He grinned. "Shutting up now."

"Actually… Don't." she said, sitting down on the desk next to him. "Tell me about where you've been…"

He took a deep breath. "I went to China for a year, then Mongolia, Arabia, a visit to India, then America, then I went to English-land or whatever it's called, got on a tea ship back to Mongolia, then China and then…" he shrugged. "I came home. Back to Tokyo. Well, actually – I went to Aizu first, but since you weren't there – I got down here."

"What's it like there? America, England?

Sanosuke winked. "Well… There's a ton of hot, yellow-haired, busty, Gajin women, and nobody fights or gambles fair. The sake is shit – but some of it is strong. Pretty much everyone has a gun… Nobody fights with swords. Hm… What else? Did I mention the hot Gajin ladies?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Idiot. All you've got on your mind is women."

"Well… One in particular, really."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, her lips tightening. "I bet you were sad to leave her."

Sanosuke nodded. "Yeah. I was. I didn't even get to say goodbye to her." He grinned. "But now I'm never gonna have to say goodbye to her again, if she'll let me stay by her. 'Cause…" he looked at Megumi and took a deep breath. "There's no yellow-haired Gajin woman who's better than the Fox Lady back home." Sano gave a sideways grin, but his eyes were serious.

" _Eh?!_ " Megumi looked at him.

Sanosuke sighed, leaning back and giving Megumi a wistful look. "Look, I ain't good with words. So I'll say it straight. I uh… Love ya. Like, a lot. Took me a while to figure that out though, didn't it?" he sighed.

"Idiot…" Megumi grabbed him by the front of his jacket and kissed him.

When she broke away, Sanosuke grinned. "Now _that's_ what I call a good welcome home."


End file.
